Portable and/or transportable machine tools are known in which an operating unit is mounted on a column which extends upwardly from a base structure having a work surface.
Because of their bulk, such machine tools are difficult to transport and relocate, and also give rise to considerable storage problems. Machine tools such as radial arm saws could have greater application if they could be readily transported from one job site to another.
With some such machine tools, it is possible to dismantle and remove the operating unit and the column in order to reduce the bulk of the machine tool for transportation and storage. However, such dismantling, and subsequent re-mounting, of the operating unit and the column is time consuming, requires a certain level of skill, and can adversely affect the performance of the machine tool if performed carelessly or unskillfully. Moreover, the removed operating unit and column then have to be individually stored or housed safely and with care.